


Haikyuu One-Shots

by SkyPhoenix13125



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Reader-Insert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-20
Updated: 2020-11-02
Packaged: 2021-03-06 17:35:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 19,946
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26002759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SkyPhoenix13125/pseuds/SkyPhoenix13125
Summary: A collection of Haikyuu one-shots (in no particular order).Originally posted on Deviantart, these are my original work.Most chapters are written for a female reader but not all of them. Those that use female pronouns are marked.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Reader, Azumane Asahi/Reader, Bokuto Koutarou/Reader, Ennoshita Chikara/Reader, Iwaizumi Hajime/Reader, Kageyama Tobio/Reader, Kozume Kenma/Reader, Kuroo Tetsurou/Reader, Nishinoya Yuu/Reader, Oikawa Tooru/Reader, Sawamura Daichi/Reader, Tanaka Ryuunosuke/Reader, Tsukishima Kei/Reader, Ukai Keishin/Reader, Yamaguchi Tadashi/Reader
Comments: 18
Kudos: 366





	1. Good Luck Charm - Tanaka (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story takes place after season 1 of Haikyuu, so if you haven't gotten that far yet, this is a SPOILER WARNING.
> 
> Female pronouns

Tanaka was wandering the halls of Karasuno without really paying attention to where he was going.

It was frustrating. That bitter feeling of having scratched and crawled their way up to be beaten by that Oikawa and his Aobajosai team. And they'd been especially hard on Tanaka himself for part of the game, trying to break his spirit and his nerves. It made him want to hit something, he was so frustrated with the results.

“Tanaka!”

He paused, turning slightly to see who was calling him. And he started slightly at seeing you behind him.

“(Y/N)? What is it?”

You were a second year and in Tanaka's class. He actually had a large crush on you (as he did with most girls) but the poor guy had barely been able to talk to you, because he was aware of how intense he came across. Kiyoko was used to it, but he got the feeling you would be caught off guard by his enthusiasm. So he always worked to keep his cool around you.

“Well,” you started, not quite looking him in the eye, “I know you're probably pretty upset from losing, but it was an amazing game. And you were so cool under the pressure, you didn't let them break you. I thought it was really impressive.”

“I-impressive?” he repeated. You thought that...about him?

“Yeah!”

He turned fully to face you now, dropping his bag down by his side and scratching the back of his head.

“It wasn't that big of a deal,” he chuckled nervously. “That's what they get for targeting me! They should have known I'd give it right back to them!”

You smiled slightly at his energy. “Anyway, you're going to start training soon for the spring tournament, is that right?”

“Yeah. Gotta make sure we're in top form to take on those big city boys!” His eyes blazed suddenly and you could swear you could see fire burning around him.

“Well, I wanted to give you something. So you remember to keep that fighting spirit even when times get tough.”

Tanaka watched quizzically as you pulled something from your bag and handed it to him. When he looked at it, he saw that it was a ceramic black feather with a number 5 painted in white on it.

You blushed profusely as he stared at it. You truthfully didn't know much about volleyball, but 5 was his number and the team was known as “flightless” crows right now. Plus, his position was a wing spiker, and feathers fell off of wings...you figured it was appropriate.

But he continued to stare at in wonder, like he couldn't understand what was happening.

“You...made this for me?”

You nodded quickly, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear. “It's a good luck charm. But I'd totally understand if you think it's weird or--”

“NO!” he suddenly exclaimed. You looked up at him in surprise. His eyes were glassy with tears and his cheeks were bright red. His dream was finally being realized.

“It-it's great. Better than great, it's perfect! Just like you!”

“M-Me?” you repeated.

“I'll treasure this, I swear! You have no idea--!”

“Ryu, come on!” another voice called from down the hall. You both glanced in that direction to see Nishinoya waving at him. “We're going to be late for practice!”

Tanaka turned back to you. “Sorry, I should--”

“It's fine,” you told him with a smile. “You have to beat those city boys, after all.”

If Tanaka had been able to, he would have grabbed you in the tightest bear hug he could have managed and never let you go.

But Nishinoya had gotten tired of waiting for his friend, and came to drag him down the hallway towards the gymnasium. So he settled for yelling at you like a madman.

“I'll kick their asses, (Y/N)! You'll see! I'll kick all their asses, just for you!”

You turned to head down the other side of the hallway, hoping you could hide your blush.


	2. If I Wasn't - Nishinoya (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

Nishinoya was a lot of things. But sometimes he wished he wasn't. He had a girlfriend, but he often wondered if you'd still like him if he wasn't like this. If he wasn't...

...Short.

The libero knew his height was something of an oddity. As Hinata had assessed on their first meeting, he stood barely five feet in height. His hair even accounted for some of that.

He did his best to brush it off and pretend it didn't bother him. But it's kind of hard when you're constantly surrounded by others who are taller than you. Plus, that's the way couples were “supposed to be”, with the guy being taller than the girl. It made them look more protective and he longed for that. He longed to be seen as more of a man.

Because his height made others underestimate him. He couldn't help but wonder if that meant you, too.

...Energetic and Impulsive.

Nishinoya had a natural athleticism that came with being both energetic and impulsive. But it also meant that he came off as a loud hothead sometimes as well.

Like when he'd confronted Asahi in the hallway and had got so caught up in that, he'd accidentally gotten himself suspended. Sometimes he thought it'd be better if he was calmer and thought things through, like Daichi or Sugawara. He sometimes thought this made him look far more immature in comparison to his upperclassmen.

And it meant you had to work harder to keep up with him, not just on an athletic level, but as far as spontaneity and readiness to try new things with him.

...a Flirt.

It was no secret that Nishinoya loved girls. The girls and their uniforms at school were part of the reason he'd chosen it in the first place.

But even with you by his side, he had a tendency to get distracted by pretty girls walking by. Kiyoko was one such case. He'd often drop everything and go out of his way to speak to the manager because he was just so enamored by her.

He knew that wasn't fair to you, but he was still relatively green when it came to relationships. He was so used to swooning over girls with Tanaka that sometimes he acted before thinking how it would affect you. He'd tried to keep it to a minimum around you, but you couldn't be that oblivious to it.

...a Libero.

If there was one thing the second year felt guilty about wanting to change, this was it.

He'd been playing volleyball long before you'd met, and he had no plans to change anytime soon. However, he was well aware that his practice and tournaments left him precious little time to spend with you.

And when he did, he was usually in the middle of recovering from diving after balls. It made some situations awkward, like going to the beach. Not that it'd ever stop him, but he wondered about the way it had a negative effect on you.

...Insecure.

The biggest one. If you knew he was insecure about all of these things, would you still accept him as he was? Or would you not be able to look at him the same way? Would you even want to keep seeing him?

All of his teammates noticed something was off about their “Guardian”. He was missing simple returns, and not going after dropped balls like he usually would. Even his signature cries when he went after some were nowhere to be found.

It wasn't until Daichi noticed you lingering at the gym door that they could put two and two together.

“Go on.” Asahi gave his friend a hard shove in your direction while the others went back to practice.

His brown eyes met yours and he slowly made his way towards you.

“I...have something to confess.”

“Nishi, have you really been so worked up about all that?”

He looked at you in confusion.

“You're the perfect height. Taller guys are intimidating, because they always look down at me, but I never have that problem with you. Plus, you're just the right size for cuddling.”

To prove your point, you wrapped your arms around him.

“I love your energy. It makes me smile whenever I see you. And so what if you're a little impulsive? It keeps me on my toes. I never know what you're going to do next.”

“Really?”

“I liked it before we were dating,” you assured him. “Just like your enthusiasm with girls. I've always thought it was cute.”

“But, I look at other girls!” he exclaimed. “Doesn't that bother you?”

“Does it bother you when I look at the rest of your team?” He started slightly.

“N-no,” he admitted finally.

“Because you trust me. And I trust you too, Nishi.”

“(Y/N)--”

“And you're an amazing libero. You're doing what you love, and you're working hard at it. All your bruises prove that.”

He frowned slightly. “But when we go to tournaments--”

“I get to brag about how good you are, silly.” You slowly intertwined your fingers with his. “You wouldn't be the same if you changed any of those things. And I like you, Nishi. Just how you are.”

He squeezed your hand. “You're amazing.” You beamed.

“No, you are. That's what I've been telling you.”

“I love you, you know that?”

Nishinoya seized your lips in a sweet kiss before a particularly loud shout reached your ears. It sounded like the others were getting into their game.

Your boyfriend scrambled to his feet, pulling you with him.

It was Kageyama's serve. He threw up the ball, easily following it and performing a jump serve. His opposing team: Sugawara, Daichi, Tanaka, Tsukishima, and Yamaguchi, readied themselves to receive it. But no one could have expected Daichi's perfect receive back over the net.

The others scrambled to retrieve it when a familiar yell echoed through the gym. Nishinoya threw himself in front of the ball, sending it back just as easily.

“Your Guardian has returned!” The libero proclaimed with a wide grin. The others cheered, especially when they scored a point.

He glanced at you and gave you a quick thumbs-up. You returned the gesture as you sat with Kiyoko to watch the practice game. But even better was watching your boyfriend's troubles melt away while playing the game he loved.

After all, that was why you fell for him in the first place.


	3. Picture Perfect - Daichi

“Excuse me, sorry!” you called as you weaved your way between people after school.

That is, until you slammed right into someone and scattered your things all over the floor.

“Are you okay, (Y/N)?” a familiar voice asked. You glanced up to see your friend Daichi staring down at you.

You smiled slightly. “Hey, Daichi. I'm fine, I just didn't see you.” You bent down to start gathering your things.

“I kind of figured,” he replied as he helped. “You looked like you were in a hurry. Something going on today?”

“Yeah, actually. I'm submitting a photography portfolio to a magazine. They might make me their official photographer if they like it.”

His head snapped up. “(Y/N), that's amazing! Why didn't you say anything?”

“Well, I--” you started before seeing his hand on a picture. “No!”

He followed your gaze to the picture he was holding and stared at it. He glanced up at you and then back at the picture.

“This is me,” he said finally.

You nodded, feeling your face turning red. “Remember, I came to one of your practices last month? I got a few really good shots of the team and I thought I should include them in the portfolio. For some diversity, you know. Most of my stuff is still shots, nothing like that...” you continued to ramble on as Daichi stared at the photo.

It was a perfectly timed shot of him spiking the ball. He was in mid-air with his legs bent at the knee, one arm pulled back behind his head. And the other reaching out until his fingers just brushed the volleyball. You could see the beads of sweat on his neck and face from that game. The shadows around him danced along his form, further adding to the depth of the shot. And there was an intensity in his face that he'd never been able to see before. An obvious passion for the game, his love for volleyball.

“...I meant to tell you, but I thought you might feel embarrassed if I told you I wanted to submit it.”

That got his attention again.

“Embarrassed?” he repeated. “Why?”

You shrugged. “It's not exactly a professional shot.”

“No, but I think it's...amazing, (Y/N). You should definitely submit it.”

He handed the photo back to you. You smiled slightly, placing it with the others.

“Thanks. I'll get you a copy of it, if you want.”

He frowned slightly. “Why can't I have that one?”

“No way! It's one of my favorite pictures!” His frown was quickly replaced by a smirk.

“Oh? And why's that?”

You felt your face getting red again. “I told you, it's one of my first action shots!”

“You're sure it's not because it's of your favorite volleyball captain?”

“Of course not,” you snapped, although it was painfully obvious that you were lying. “Now, I have to go or I'm going to be late.”

He let you get a little ways down the hall before calling out to you.

“Hey, (Y/N)! When you get that job, we're going out to celebrate, my treat!”

You paused. Had Daichi....just asked you out?

A few months later, you finally managed to give Daichi his copy of that picture. It was about time, and you'd found a new favorite picture anyway. The one of the two of you sitting in a restaurant together. Your arms around each other and big smiles on your faces. Your very first date of many to come.


	4. About Time - Asahi (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

“All right, take a break!” Ukai called to the team.

The Karasuno team started moving off the court, grabbing their towels and water bottles. They'd been running drills for ages, mostly serving and receiving. But they were working on blocking as well, and spiking.

Asahi was in the middle of taking a drink when Nishinoya elbowed him. He spluttered, nearly choking on his water.

“Someone's here to see you,” he said with a cheeky grin. Asahi followed his gaze to see you standing in the doorway of the gym.

When you caught sight of him, you waved and started walking towards him.

Asahi cleared his throat and met you halfway.

“(Y/N), I didn't know you were here,” he said.

“Oh, it's fine,” you told him. “I didn't want to interrupt practice. But I wanted to give these back to you. They really helped me out.”

You handed him his notes from class.

He blushed profusely, scratching the back of his head. “Well, you were sick last week. It was the least I could do.”

You nodded to yourself, shyly avoiding his gaze.

Across the room, Nishinoya, Daichi, and Sugawara were all huddled together. They were staring at the both of you, a dark aura resonating from them.

Nishinoya sighed. “If Asahi doesn't do something soon, I'm going to confess myself. I want a cute girlfriend and he won't make a move!”

“Have some patience. They're both shy so of course they won't act on it unless they're comfortable,” Sugawara pointed out.

“But this has been going on for months!” Daichi grumbled.

“I caught that last spike you did,” you told Asahi. “It was really good.”

He smiled. “Thanks. It's great to be back on the court.”

“I can tell. You look so different when you play volleyball. Not that it's a bad thing or anything!” you added when he looked at you.

“No, I get that a lot,” he admitted with a nervous laugh. “It's because--”

You shook your head. “You're not scary, Asahi. Anyone who knows you understands that.”

He was caught off guard by the conviction of your words. He opened his mouth to say something, but several things happened at once. You heard a smacking sound, and then a lot of yelling.

“Heads up!

“Asahi!”

“(Y/N), look out!”

You weren't quite aware of what had happened. You only knew that you were knocked onto the floor by a large force. You were vaguely aware of a volleyball bouncing off the wall somewhere behind you and someone (you thought it might be Daichi) yelling at someone named Hinata.

But those thoughts simply buzzed around as you came face to face with the real person of interest right now.

Asahi.

He had seen Hinata's uncontrollable spike heading straight for you. He'd heard his teams' warning shouts.

He'd instantly tackled you to the ground, out of the way of the ball. He rolled a few times with you across the gym floor as well.

The ace also wasn't aware of how it had happened. He simply knew he'd ended up on his back. His arms firmly wrapped around you, pressing you closer to him. Along with your lips.

You'd somehow tangled yourselves up together in such a way that you'd kissed.

Upon realizing this, you quickly picked your head up and stared at him. He stared right back at you, the same look of confused panic on his face.

You felt the blush blooming, and you looked away.

He slowly sat up on his elbows, his face equally as red.

“I'm so sorry!” you both exclaimed.

“You're not hurt, are you?”

“No. And I really didn't mean to--!”

“Neither did I! But the ball--”

“It's fine! I wasn't paying attention, and you saved me!”

He froze at your statement.

“It's fine,” you repeated. “It was an accident.”

“I-I'm just glad you're okay.”

You smiled slightly. “Me too. Thank you for saving me.”

At that moment, you both become uncomfortably aware of his entire team watching the exchange. You scrambled to your feet and extended a hand to him.

He gladly accepted it and you hauled him to his feet, pulling him close to you once more. You both stared at each other for a moment, hands clasped together.

But his team was still staring at you, somehow even more intensely than before.

You weren't to know this, but the stares were all directed at Asahi, commanding him to act. He shrank under their gazes, knowing full well what they wanted.

You took a step back, meaning to leave.

Asahi gripped your hand tighter and pulled you close again.

“A-Asahi?” you whispered, looking up at him.

He quickly pressed his lips to your cheek.

“I've always been worried I'm going to scare you away. But I like you (Y/N). And the first one might have been an accident, but that wasn't.”

“F-first one?” you repeated weakly.

“If you're okay with that.”

You nodded quickly, not trusting your mouth to make comprehensible words. He smiled slightly, squeezing your hand in his own.

“Oi!” Coach Ukai called. “I'd love to get some more practice in. If you can tear yourself away from your girlfriend, Asahi.”

“Y-yes, sir!” Asahi exclaimed, suddenly coming to attention.

You giggled quietly at his reaction. “See you later, Asahi.”

He gave you a firm nod in response.

You slipped out of the gym before leaning against the side of the building, gently touching your cheek.

Asahi had kissed you. Twice. You would have never believed it you hadn't experienced it yourself.

“About time,” Coach Ukai grumbled as Asahi stepped onto the court.

Daichi gave him a clap on the shoulder and Suga shot him a thumbs-up. Nishinoya gave him a wide grin.

He smirked slightly, staring at the door to the gym.

Yeah. About time.


	5. Looking Out - Sugawara (Female Reader

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

“Suga.......hey, time to wake up,” a soft voice called.

The gray-haired boy twitched slightly. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder.

He opened his eyes to see you standing over him, a smile on your face.

“Morning,” he said through a yawn. He knew you had been coming over, but he'd expected to be awake to greet you.

“Morning, sleepy head,” you replied as you ruffled his soft locks.

He frowned slightly. He couldn't have been asleep that long, right? He glanced over at his clock and his eyes widened in horror.

“(Y/N), you let me sleep in that late?! It's almost noon! We were supposed to spend the day together!” He climbed over you to grab his clothes.

You shook your head slightly at him. “Relax, Suga. There's still plenty of time.”

“I'll be ready in 5!” he called as he skidded down the hallway towards the bathroom.

“Don't hurt yourself!” you called back.

You'd been dating Sugawara for about a year now. But because of his practice, you didn't get to see him very much. In fact, you'd planned to spend this day together almost a month in advance.

Not that you really minded. You were happy just spending time with Koushi, just hearing about what was going on in his life. But he was that boyfriend that liked to go out on dates, spending entire days with you at a time if he could manage it.

Sugawara raced back into his room. “Okay, I'm ready! What do you want to do?”

“Funny you should mention that.” You turned him around, gently pushing him towards the main room. He looked around in confusion.

There were pillows and blankets strewn all over the couch. A collection of movies sat on the coffee table, along with the remote and the phone.

“What's this?” he asked.

“You've been working so hard lately. I thought we could have a lazy day together.”

“But--”

“But nothing, Koushi, you've been driving yourself crazy at the volleyball club. You would have slept until 2 if I let you. Now, sit,” you commanded.

He quickly settled himself on the couch.

“Good, now pick out a movie you want to watch.”

“What about you?” he asked as the doorbell rang.

You smiled. “I'm going to get the take-out.”

“(Y/N), you--”

“Just pick a movie, Koushi!”

He nodded quietly, perusing through the movies you'd brought with you. He chose one and started setting it up.

A few minutes later, you joined him on the couch, arranging containers so they were all accessible.

You snuggled into a blanket and sat down beside him.

“I don't know how to thank you,” he said as he started eating. “You really didn't have to go to all this trouble for me.”

“Please,” you scoffed. “What are girlfriends for?”

“I can think of something,” he said softly as he leaned closer to you.

“Ohh!” You suddenly pointed at the screen. “This is a great part!”

You slid closer and leaned your head on his shoulder. Sugawara wrapped an arm around you and smiled down at you.

And that's how you spent the whole day. Every time a movie finished you just put in another one. When it was time for dinner, you called out for that, too. And even though Suga thought he would have preferred an actual date with you, he had to admit he'd needed this.

Sugawara woke with a start. He hadn't remembered falling asleep.

You had fallen asleep across his lap. You were still wrapped in a blanket, breathing softly as you dreamed about something. He slowly put a hand on your shoulder.

“Hey, (Y/N),” he said softly.

“Bed,” you grumbled in response. He picked you up without another word, settling you in his bed and pulling the cover over you.

You grabbed his sleeve as he turned away.

“Sleep,” you repeated, cracking one eye open and glaring at him. You pulled his sleeve for more emphasis.

“I have to clean up that mess in there,” he told you.

“Koushi.....sleep.”

He laughed. “All right, all right.” He knew you'd keep telling him that until he agreed. And it was kind of late.

He climbed in beside you and you immediately wrapped your arms around him. He smiled, gently placing a kiss on your forehead.

“Today was perfect. Thank you.”

You nuzzled against his neck. “Love you.”

“I love you, too, (Y/N).”

He closed his eyes and smiled to himself.

He'd almost forgotten how nice it was to have someone else look out for him. But that's what girlfriends were for, right? You'd said so yourself. And you were definitely the best at it.


	6. Closet Confusion - Kageyama (Female Reader)

Tanaka was walking by the supply closet when he heard something suspicious. Hushed voices and weird thumping noises.

Practice hadn't started yet but he could definitely recognize your voice and Kageyama's in there. He wondered what you were doing.

In fact, he was going to open the door when he heard another thump. He froze.

“Kageyama, cut it out!” your voice exclaimed. “If you're not going to do it, I'm just going to get Tsukishima.”

“Don't you dare,” the setter growled. “I can do this. Just...give me a second.”

“It's not rocket science.”

Tanaka narrowed his eyes. What were you two up to?

“Hey, what are you doing?!” your voice suddenly rose.

“Keep your voice down, you're going to get us in trouble!” Tanaka pressed his ear to the door as he heard scuffling and then a few grunts. He distinctly heard you whimper slightly.

“Tanaka, what are you doing?” Nishinoya's voice sounded behind him. He shushed his friend and brought his head towards the door.

“Is...this okay?” Kageyama's voice was so quiet the two boys outside could just hear barely hear him.

“Your hands are warm,” you commented.

“T-They are? Sorry!”

“It's fine.”

“You guys--”

“Asahi, shush!” Tanaka and Nishinoya scolded him. Hinata walked over himself to see what all the fuss was about.

You laughed. “I didn't know you were such a leg man, Kageyama.”

“S-shut up!” he snapped.

By now the rest of the team had gathered around the small closet.

They all heard another thumping sound followed by you gasping in pain.

“Warn me before you do that!” you snapped.

“Sorry! Did I hurt you?”

“I'm fine. Just a little more, okay?”

“(Y/N)--”

“Just take a deep breath and relax....That's it. Ready to try again?”

“Whoa, wait--!”

A loud crashing followed.

“That's it!” Daichi threw open the door. All they saw was Kageyama tumble onto the floor of the closet. He clutched his shoulder.

“What did you do that for?!” he exclaimed at one of the shelves. You poked your head out from one of the higher shelves and grinned down at him.

“I got it, didn't I?” You glanced at the rest of the team as you swung your legs around and jumped off the shelf. “Hey, did practice start already?”

“What were you doing up there?” Sugawara asked.

You held up a gaming console. “Mr. Sore Loser over there threw my game up there. He couldn't jump high enough to get it back down so he put me on his shoulders and I climbed up myself.”

“Yeah, after you kicked me!” Kageyama snapped.

“I pushed off your shoulder with my foot. I needed the extra height, and it serves you right for slamming me into that shelf,” you retorted. “Wait. What did you guys think we were doing?”

Suddenly, no one on the team could meet your gaze, except Hinata who seemed confused about what everyone else was thinking about.

You smirked slightly as Kageyama glared at them. “Really? In a supply closet? You guys have some crazy imaginations.” They continued to avoid your gaze, shuffling their feet.

“Well, I'm off. Enjoy your practice!” you called as you pushed past them out of the closet. You winked at Kageyama before you left.

Kageyama let Hinata help him up, popping his shoulder.

“So King, I hear you've got a thing for legs?” Tsukishima asked with a smirk.

“No. Just hers. That's why I threw her game up there.”

His teammates stared at him. “EHHHH?!”


	7. Bittersweet - Tsukishima

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Slight AU if you squint

“Tsukishima!” you called.

No response.

“For crying out loud,” you grumbled, going around to the back door. His family always left it open since you and Yamaguchi tended to come at odd times.

He hadn't been to school or practice since yesterday. Yamaguchi would have come himself, but he actually feared Daichi and didn't want to risk skipping practice like the tall blond. Since you were and Tsukki were dating, (which was obviously kept pretty quiet lest the others make fun of him), he'd begged you to go in his place.

You made your way to Kei's room and sighed.

The blond was lying face down on his bed, still as a statue. You'd almost believe he was dead if he wasn't just depressed about something. And he'd probably been like this for the past day or so.

“Kei!” you snapped. “What are you doing lying like that? You could suffocate yourself.”

“Who cares?” his muffled voice snapped back at you.

You sighed heavily. “What's wrong?”

He said nothing.

You narrowed your eyes, moving closer to him.

“Kei--”

“It's nothing! Go away!”

You simply flopped onto the bed, lying across him. He grunted slightly but made no other sound.

“Come on, Kei. If you don't tell me, Tadashi and I will just come back tomorrow and the next day and so on until you say something.”

He moved his head slightly to glare at you through the sheen of his glasses.

You smiled back at him. “Kei....you can tell me.”

His arm moved slightly, maneuvering around you to reach onto his desk and grab his phone.

“Here.” He tossed it to you with surprising accuracy for not facing you.

You caught it easily and opened it to see his email.

“What am I looking for?”

“The first one,” he grumbled.

Upon opening the email, you saw a very official email from a company in Tokyo for a summer internship. Thanking him for his application. You remembered this company, he had mentioned it before as a place he wanted to work for in the future.

You frowned slightly.

“Kei--”

He shifted beneath you, suddenly propping himself on his elbows. “They finally had an opening. I did everything right!” he exclaimed. “And they rejected me. ME!”

And that was the crux of the problem. For such a seemingly self-assured person, Tsukishima hated losing. He hated it more than anything. That feeling of inferiority. The feeling of...rejection. He excelled in everything to escape the bitter taste in his mouth that now mocked him for failing somewhere along the line. For not measuring up somehow.

“They didn't reject you.”

“You've got it right in front of you!”

You showed him the screen, newly refreshed. “Actually, what I have is another email asking you for an interview.”

He froze. “H-how is that possible?”

“Simple,” you told him, moving back to the previous email. “This is addressed to 'Kai'. It was apparently meant for someone else.”

He stared at the screen in surprise. “They want me after all?”

“Looks that way,” you grunted as you climbed off the bed. “So get your butt to practice before Daichi kills you.”

He reached out and grabbed your wrist.

“I have a better idea.”

Less than half an hour later, you were both eating cake at a small cafe near school.

“Why are we here again?” you asked.

“There's no harm in taking you out to celebrate my accomplishments,” he grumbled as he went in for another bite.

“But this is a pretty nice place, Kei.” He avoided your gaze.

“I just heard they have great cake here.”

“Or are you trying to say thank you?”

“Don't be ridiculous!” he snapped.

You laughed. “Relax, I'm only teasing you. Here, have another strawberry. You deserve it.”

He reluctantly allowed you to place a strawberry in his mouth, his cheeks now bright red. The bitterness in his mouth had vanished, replaced with the sweet taste of his favorite fruit.

“T-thank you,” he choked out finally.

You grinned. “You're welcome.”


	8. Bonding - Oikawa (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

You glanced at the clock. You were running late already.

You were a manager with Aobajosai's male volleyball team. The team had started going out more in their free time for “team bonding” activities. Which usually consisted of going out to restaurants where Oikawa would flirt with waitresses, Iwaizumi would hit or berate him, and you'd apologize to the owners while everyone else ate their weight in food.

Needless to say, you were not much of a fan. But it was showing some results. The team was getting along better, and you thankfully hadn't been kicked out of a restaurant yet.

But since Oikawa was always late to start with, Iwazumi had put you in charge of making sure the captain got there on time. Which meant that he got to come over to your house and change there so that you could keep an eye on him. Much to your chagrin.

And here you were, late again. It was Oikawa's fault. You'd never met a guy who spent so much time on his hair. At least that's what he said he was doing when he took over your bathroom half an hour ago.

You'd been ready for twenty minutes and there hadn't been a peep from him. It was....suspicious, to say the least. But what could he be doing in there?

Finally, you'd decided you'd had enough. You made a beeline for the bathroom.

Oikawa smirked as he heard your footsteps approaching.

“Would you hurry up, we're--”

You froze as he turned around to glance at the sudden instrusion.

Oikawa was standing there with his shirt open, his pants held loosely around his waist. He hadn't even buttoned them yet.

“Honestly,” he sighed. “You should know better than to walk in on a guy in the bathroom.” He smirked. “Or did you plan to catch me changing?”

“W-wha--?!” you exclaimed. He smirked slightly at your blushing face.

“What's wrong?” he asked teasingly. “Like what you see?”

You averted your gaze, refusing to answer his question.

He merely stepped closer, almost brushing his bare chest against your head.

“It's rude to not answer me, you know.”

You twitched slightly. You could hear the smirk in his voice. That infuriating smirk.

Finally, you nodded once. You couldn't deny that even if he could be an ass....he was a handsome one.

“That wasn't so hard, was it?” he purred, picking your chin up so you were forced to look at him. “You know.....you're more than welcome to return the favor anytime you like.”

And that was it. He'd hit your breaking point.

“Yeah, right, Trashykawa!” you snapped, shoving him away from you. “Button your shirt and hurry up or I'm leaving your ass here!”

You turned on your heel and slammed the door behind you.

“(Y/N)!” Oikawa whined. “I was only teasing! I-I didn't mean it!”

The door creaked open. You narrowed your eyes at him.

“Is that right?” you asked. “Then I'll be sure to mention that to Iwaizumi.”

His arms started flailing. “No, no, no! Anything but that!” he pleaded.

“Then get ready and let's go!”

Oikawa raced out the door less than two minutes later and the rest of the night was fairly uneventful. You made it on time to the restaurant and caught up with everyone else. You didn't tell Iwaizumi, and Oikawa remained on his best behavior throughout the meal.

“What's wrong with you?” Iwaizumi asked once they started leaving. Oikawa was never this quiet or subdued when they went out.

“What do you mean, Iwa-chan?” He smiled. “I'm perfectly fine.”

“You and (Y/N) were almost late.”

Both of you froze.

“We can explain--!”

“That wasn't--!”

“Finally, I thought you'd never admit your feelings.”

“I told you that in confidence!” Oikawa hissed.

“You tried to confess by letting me see you half-naked?!” you exclaimed.

….

….

….

“You did what?!” Iwaizumi barked.

“Iwa-chan, you've got it wrong! It was just some simple teasing, since Coach is so concerned with team bonding. You're the one who had to say it out loud!”

“Why do you think we've been doing this bonding? You're distracted, and it's affecting the rest of the team!”

Oikawa frowned. “It is?” Iwaizumi flicked him on the forehead.

“Yes, you idiot. So confess properly and get your head straight.”

And with that, Iwaizumi left the two of you alone.

“You're an idiot,” you said after a moment. “If you like someone, you tell them. You don't plan for them to walk in on you half-naked just to get a reaction.”

“It seemed pretty obvious you were interested. I was going to tell you on the drive back....but then Iwa-chan had to go and steal my thunder!” He crossed his arms and huffed like a small child.

You smiled slightly. “You're pretty cute for an idiot, you know.”

He perked up.

“Does that mean--?”

“If you dial back your teasing, we'll see how it goes.”

“You've got a deal.” You shook on it, but he continued holding your hand afterwards, a satisfied smile tugging at his lips.

And so, the team outings came to an abrupt end.

Except for the ones you had with the captain on a regular basis.


	9. Gamer Guide - Kenma

It had all started when you had proudly shown Kenma your new fighting game. You weren't as large of a gamer as he was, but you thought that playing a game that he already had might give you more to talk about.

In a way, you were right. And yet....you were so wrong.

It had started innocently. Once you got the basics, Kenma had made sure you were aware of slightly harder skills like combo attacks.

You beat the first few levels relatively easily, but then you got stuck. Before you could even wonder what hadn't worked, Kenma had provided you with the answer.

“You're not attacking at the right times.”

“Oh. Uh...thanks,” you replied as you restarted the level.

And so the cycle continued.

“Don't forget to heal.”

“You don't need that item.”

“Make sure you're using your shield.”

“You have to dodge faster.”

“Kenma!” you exclaimed. “I appreciate the help, but could you just let me play?”

He frowned slightly. “But you keep dying.”

“I know that. But it's kind of hard to concentrate with all of your comments.”

“Sorry. I'll be quiet.”

You restarted the level once again and raced toward the enemy to deliver a blow. The fight actually went a little better this time, but you felt your skin prickling.

Kenma was staring intensely at your screen, watching your every move. You could feel the pressure from his gaze and you dodged the wrong way. Right into the enemy's fist.

True to his word, your boyfriend said nothing. But you raised an eyebrow at him anyway. You knew what he would say as clearly as if it had been written on his forehead.

So you changed tactics.

“What are you doing?” Kenma asked as you lifted yourself from the couch.

“Going over here. My battery will die soon,” you replied.

You settled yourself in the armchair, all the way across the room from him.

“Um....I can't see what you're doing over there.”

“I thought I'd try it on my own for a bit. Is that okay?” you asked pointedly.

“I'm bothering you.” It wasn't a question.

You sighed. “I know you're trying to help, Kenma. But it's a better experience if I figure it out on my own.”

“It took me three days to beat the next boss. I don't want you to waste that time if I can help you do it.”

“Three days?” you repeated. He nodded.

“Kuroo threatened to take it away from me.”

“Okay, let me try it this way. Don't you remember how happy you were when you finally beat that boss? When you managed to finally outsmart him?”

He nodded again.

“That's what I want to do, Kenma. I don't care if it takes that long. I want the experience of figuring it out and doing it myself.”

He mulled over this idea for a few minutes. “I understand. You can come back over now.”

“I'd love to, but my battery really might die.” You smiled apologetically. “After this level.”

And with that, you started this horrible boss battle. Within a few moments you gritted your teeth.

Kenma fidgeted uncomfortably, unsure of what had happened. He could hear the sounds of the game, and it didn't sound like you'd died already. So he watched you instead.

He watched your brow furrow in concentration, heard you whispering encouraging words of “Go, go, go!” to your character, and started in surprise when you nearly catapulted yourself out of the chair. He guessed you got a little too into your dodging.

“Boom!” you suddenly exclaimed.

The pudding head snapped out of his thoughts, aware that he'd stopped paying attention to what you were doing.

“What happened?”

“I won!”

“You did?”

You smirked triumphantly. “See what happens when you let me play on my own?”

Kenma turned away, trying to hide his pout.

“You know, there's a multiplayer feature,” you pointed out. “Want to play a few rounds with me?”

He glanced up at you. “I call Player 1.”

“You got it.”


	10. Surprise - Ukai (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

“Take a break!” Ukai called. He nodded to Takeda as he stepped outside.

He lit a cigarette and sighed.

“Well, well. The rumors are true,” a voice said. “I never pegged you for a coach.”

The blond glanced up in surprise, nearly dropping his lighter. You were leaning against the walkway outside, your arms crossed.

“(Y/N).”

You smiled. “Surprise!”

“W-when did you get back?” he asked. The last time he'd seen you had been about a year and a half ago, when you left for Paris. You only came home for major holidays, and you were always gone again by the time he'd found out. It drove him crazy. And yet, here you were. Standing in front of him.

“Last week, actually. But you were gone to Tokyo, so I had to wait to see you.”

“Sorry, I--”

“It's fine.” You gave him a reassuring smile. “It was worth it for you.”

He blushed slightly, averting his eyes.

“Oh, and I have something for you! Close your eyes.”

He huffed, puffs of smoke escaping his nostrils. Nevertheless, he complied and shut his eyes. You gently took his hand in your own. He was so distracted by your touch he hardly noticed you had given him something.

He slowly opened his eyes to see a bottle resting in his hand. The writing there was strange, and he frowned slightly as he tried to read it.

“It's a popular beer from Paris,” you told him. “I thought we could celebrate.”

“Thank you,” he said as he pulled the cigarette from his mouth. “But what's the occasion?”

“I'm back for good.”

He stared at you in surprise. “For good?” he repeated.

You nodded. “No more traveling abroad. At least for now.”

Before you could blink, Ukai had wrapped his arms around you and pressed you against him.

“If you think I'm letting you go again, you're an idiot.”

You laughed, staring up at him.

“I missed you.”

“I missed you too.”

He moved his right hand to your cheek, gently tilting your chin towards him with his thumb. You leaned closer. So did he.

“Ukai-uwaugh!” a voice exclaimed behind you.

Ukai sighed as he turned around to glare at Takeda. The teacher's cheeks were bright red at having interrupted something.

“I-I'm sorry, but the break is over.”

The blond slowly turned back to you. You gave him a quick peck.

“It's okay. We can catch up another time.”

You went to move, but he held you fast.

“Find me at the store later and we'll celebrate.”

“You got it, ace,” you replied, using your old nickname for him. He felt his cheeks heat up once more. You loosened yourself from his hold and started heading out. He turned and glared at Takeda again, only to find that he'd been joined by the rest of the team.

They all stared at him in a mixture of surprise, awe, and jealousy.

“Oi, what are you idiots looking at?!” Ukai snapped.

“When did you get a girlfriend, Coach?!”

“She's so cute!”

“Where have you been hiding her?”

“Please!” Nishinoya and Tanaka exclaimed as they bowed down in front of him. “Teach us what you know!”

“Shut up and get back to practicing, all of you!”


	11. Surprise, Pt. 2 - Ukai (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The second part of this was inspired by an animated drama called A Day Before Us. The series is now finished, but you can find the episodes on YouTube. The episode this is idea came from was Episode 3.
> 
> Female pronouns

Ukai glanced over at your form next to him and smiled softly. Your eyes were closed, your head leaning against the passenger window.

After finally catching up after practice, you had begged to go out drinking with him, wanting an actual celebration. He had refused at first, knowing that you were a lightweight. You had continued to pester him until he finally relented, and you had proven that you hadn't changed one bit.

He had watched with amusement while you continued to drink. He'd only had one, maybe two and those were long gone by the time he got you in the car. He'd lost count of how many you'd had but at least you'd had a good time.

You had been fully awake right up until he put you in the car. And then the warm glow from the street lights coupled with the smooth ride had lulled you to sleep.

He gently stopped the car outside his house. There was no way he could trust you to make it to your own home as drunk as you were. Not that he minded. It was nice having you around again. He'd missed you far more than he wanted to admit.

He unbuckled his seat belt and leaned over, unbuckling your own.

“(Y/N), we're here,” he whispered.

“I'm up,” you mumbled as you clumsily fumbled for the door handle. He got out to come help you. You shakily stood up and took a step, tripping yourself immediately.

Ukai grabbed you around the waist and held you steady. You stared up at him as you gripped his jacket, a soft blush covering your cheeks. His eyes never left yours as he gently put you back on your feet.

After a few moments of silence, he offered you his hand. “Come on, let's get you inside before you fall again.”

You pouted at him before intertwining your hand in his own. You both shivered at the contact but pretended to ignore it. It was only natural after being apart for so long.

“Hey, Keishin?” you said as he shut the car door. “I love you.”

He averted his gaze, trying to hide his rapidly reddening cheeks.

“I love you too,” he replied softly as he led the way up to the house.


	12. Secret - Akaashi (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

Bokuto poked his head out of his classroom. It was Akaashi again.

He smirked, crouching down and lightly following him. When he sensed the ravenette about to turn around, he swiftly hid behind the lockers.

His friend had been sneaking off during lunch recently and he was determined to figure out why.

You were going over notes from your class underneath a tree outside. You had just finished when a familiar shadow appeared across your work. You glanced up at Akaashi and smiled. Right on time as always.

“Hi,” you said.

He smiled back. “Hi.”

“HEY HEY HEY!” a loud voice called. “There you are!”

You started at the sound of Bokuto's voice. You thought the reason he was so loud was because of the echo in the gym. But he was at the same volume even outside. That was more than a little irritating.

Akaashi simply glanced over his shoulder as Bokuto raced towards you. “You found me today, Bokuto-san.”

“You knew he was following you?” you asked.

The ravenette nodded as he sat down next to you. “He's been trying all week. He's too nosy to let it go.”

“Akaashi!” Bokuto snapped as he finally joined you. “That's mean! I'm not nosy, I just like knowing what's going on!”

Akaashi narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out how that was possibly any different than what he had just said. But Bokuto didn't seem to notice.

“What are you doing out here?” he asked.

“Meeting (Y/N),” Akaashi replied. You waved slightly at the mention of your name.

Bokuto grinned, puffing out his chest. “Nice to meet you! I'm Bokuto Kotaro, the ace of the volleyball team!”

You smiled. “Yes, I've heard of you. The fifth best ace in the country, is that right?”

The owlish boy beamed at his friend. “She's heard of me, Akaashi! Only natural because of my skill level.”

“Of course, Bokuto-san,” Akaashi replied in a monotone voice.

And for a moment, you thought that was the end of it.

But then Bokuto frowned slightly. “Why have you been sneaking out here all week?”

“To study,” you both replied immediately. He pondered that for a moment.

“Well, if you need help--” he started.

“Mathematics is your worst subject,” Akaashi interrupted.

Bokuto blanched. It was true, and he knew it. But he hadn't expected such a harsh refusal.

“B-but Akaashi--!”

The setter fixed him with a cold stare. “I'll see you at practice,” he said firmly. His tone left no room for arguing. You watched as Bokuto seemed to deflate, a dark aura forming around him.

“See you at practice,” he replied glumly as he started back towards the school building. When you were sure he was gone, you pulled out two bentos and handed one to Akaashi.

“Thank you,” he said softly as he started to eat. You smiled at him, eating your own under the shade of the tree.

“You sure you don't want to tell him the truth?” you asked after a few moments.

“He'll freak out.”

“I told you to tell him at the beginning.”

“He would have overreacted.”

“You're his teammate, Keiji,” you pointed out, gently squeezing his hand. “You have to trust him.”

Akaashi pondered this idea for several seconds. “All right. I'll tell him.”

“Good.” You went back to your lunch but froze as you felt his lips against your cheek. “Keiji!” you scolded.

“Relax, (Y/N). The whole point of coming out here was to be alone with my girlfriend.”

“You're right,” you replied as you leaned your head on his shoulder.

“You got a girlfriend?!” a voice screeched above you. You screamed in surprise as Bokuto fell out of the tree right next to Akaashi. “Why didn't you tell me?! Do you not trust your best friend with such important information? What else have you been keeping from me?!”

Akaashi sighed. “Told you he would overreact.”


	13. Back Into the Game - Bokuto (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

Akaashi raced into the gym, panting heavily. He'd been held back to clean up the classroom which made him late for practice.

But he froze at the sight before him.

Only Bokuto was practicing, his hand slamming against a volleyball in a jump serve. He watched as it barely passed over the net, bouncing to join the rest of the discarded balls on the other side of the court. What was more troublesome was the fact that almost the same number of balls were littered along Bokuto's side as well. Was he missing that much?

Bokuto narrowed his eyes at the outcome, picking up another ball to repeat the process.

Akaashi caught sight of the other members of the team and walked over.

“Why aren't you practicing?” he asked.

“Bokuto forbid it,” Wataru replied.

Haruki nodded in agreement. “He says we can't practice until he figures out what's wrong with his serve today.”

Akaashi sighed. “You know how to deal with him when he gets like this.”

But the others all shook their heads.

“We tried, Akaashi. Whatever's bothering him is worse this time.”

“Akaashi!” Bokuto exclaimed. The players glanced over to see a ball strike the net and fall back on his side. “Don't set for me during practice.”

The ravenette nodded wordlessly. Bokuto picked up a ball and stared at it intensely, as though that would fix his problem.

“See? He's never been this bad before.”

Akaashi narrowed his eyes. If they couldn't correct this problem, it could spell disaster for the rest of the team.

“Stop!” The Fukurodani coach called. “That's enough for today, boys. Clean up and get some rest so you're ready to go tomorrow.” He glanced meaningfully at Bokuto. Everyone nodded and started working.

Akaashi frowned slightly. He'd sent several sets to Bokuto during the practice match despite his insistence against it. It was always worth it to get the ace to land a spike when he was in a bad mood. It practically reformed his game and made him play better when he had a rebound like that.

But every set had failed. Seven in total. And with each one, Bokuto had fallen farther and farther into despair. He'd even snapped at Akaashi for continuing to set for him.

“I'm the captain and the ace, so you follow my orders,” he'd growled. Akaashi was more than a little taken aback by his hostility.

And then he'd caught up after practice to ask him what was wrong. Akaashi would rather resolve the problem through a game, but sometimes talking seemed to yield the same results.

“I'm fine,” was all he'd said before heading off on his own. And that was obviously far from the truth.

The next day, Akaashi was walking to class, still thinking about this problem when he bumped into you.

“(L/N)? Are you okay?” It wasn't like you to be staring off into space. You were usually pretty alert.

“I'm fine, Akaashi. I didn't see you there,” you replied with a slight smile. Akaashi suddenly realized. If anyone knew about Bokuto's mood change, maybe it was you.

“(Y/N)-chan, how are you and Bokuto-san? You're not fighting or something, are you?”

“Of course not. We're fine,” you told him.

But there was something about the way you said it. He narrowed his eyes.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.”

Another lie. He could see it in your eyes.

And so he watched. He watched Bokuto try to catch you in between classes or at lunch. He watched you linger near the entrance after school even though you should have gone home already.

He watched your moods degrade with each failed attempt to catch each other. And Bokuto's continued failure to play at his normal skill level.

After another abysmal practice, Akaashi found Bokuto lying on his back, staring up at the net. Another twenty or so volleyballs were scattered around him. He didn't seem to be going anywhere anytime soon.

Akaashi kicked his leg. “Hey.”

Bokuto flinched. “What?”

“Give me your phone,” the setter demanded.

“No,” he grumbled back, refusing to look at Akaashi.

Before he'd even registered what was happening, Akaashi was on top of him, grabbing him by the shirt.

“Listen to me, Bokuto-san. You are the ace of this team and when you suffer, so does everyone else. I don't know what's wrong with you but I'm here to find out. So give me your damn phone before I take it by force.”

Bokuto narrowed his eyes. Akaashi glared back. They sat like this for a minute before Bokuto finally reached into his pocket and handed the setter his phone.

Akaashi let go of his shirt and stood up, going through the phone's contents. Bokuto sat up, staring up at his friend.

“(Y/N), huh?” he finally said.

The owlish boy averted his gaze. “What about her?”

“You haven't been talking. Is that what's bothering you?” Bokuto thought about it for several seconds.

“No,” he replied finally. “We haven't been doing anything together the last few weeks. Going out, seeing each other at school, anything. It's like we don't have time for each other anymore.”

A dark cloud started encircling his friend.

“Maybe that's not it.”

Bokuto glanced up at him. “What does that mean?”

“You know how when you have your mood swings, you have to take a break to calm down and get back into the game? Maybe that's all this is. You're just taking your breaks at the same time.”

“(Y/N) has those too?” Bokuto asked.

“Everyone does, Bokuto-san. Just not as violent as yours.”

“But....what if we don't get back into the game?” Bokuto asked.

Akaashi smirked. “That's what you have a setter for, my friend.”

You were leaving class for lunch the next day when Akaashi walked by you.

“(Y/N)-chan, Bokuto-san is up on the roof. He says he's waiting for you.”

“It's lunchtime, Keiji. What's he doing up there?”

The setter shrugged. “I don't know. But he said he wasn't coming down until he saw you.”

You quickened your pace towards the stairs. You could only guess what that boy was up to up there.

“Kou, Akaashi said--”

You stopped. Bokuto turned to you at the sound of your voice. But he was standing on the edge of the railing.

“What do you think you're doing, you stupid owl?!” you exclaimed, grabbing at his jacket.

“Whoa, watch where you're grabbing, (Y/N)! This is still school grounds.”

“Shut up and get down!”

He steadied his hands on your shoulders and neatly hopped down. “Relax, that was just to distract you. It's called a fake out.”

“Distract me from what?”

“This!” He dramatically fanned out his arm behind him. And you felt your heart stop for the second time in two minutes.

He'd set up a picnic. On the roof. Complete with blanket, basket, and from what you could smell, delicious food.

“You did this for me?” you asked.

He smirked. “Well, I'm not dating anyone else.”

“Kou...I'm so sorry for not being around like I should. I--”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he said softly (for probably the first time in his life). “It's all right. Let's just eat and catch up, sound good?”

“When did you get so wonderful?”

He gasped dramatically. “I've always been this wonderful, thank you! It just took you this long to notice what a catch you have.”

“You sound a lot like Kuroo right now,” you mused as you opened the basket.

“Do not!”

“Do so!”

“Do not! Kuroo wishes he was as great as me.”

Kuroo was lazing outside when he suddenly sneezed loudly. He whipped his head around to make sure Lev wasn't trying to prank him somehow

“I have something for you too, Kou. Hold out your hand.” You reached into your bag and placed something in his hand.

He stared down at a silver tie clip in the shape of a flying owl.

“Babe, this is amazing! Where did you get it?”

“I saw it in a shop a month ago, and I've been taking a few extra shifts at work so I could get it for you.” You easily secured it onto his tie. “I was going to save it for your birthday, but it makes a pretty good apology gift.”

Bokuto's gaze softened. “You don't need to apologize. Just tell me next time you need a little break from me, okay?”

“Well, you have to admit you're just a little overwhelming, Kou. One of the top aces around, smart, funny, incredibly handsome, and you can make a picnic at the drop of a hat.”

The owlish boy watched your hands make their way higher on his tie. “Don't forget good with the ladies,” he added.

“Oh, absolutely. And this lady really missed you.”

He grinned, your noses almost touching. “I missed you, too.”

You seized his lips in a kiss.

A loud banging startled you two.

“Oi!” Akaashi's voice called through the door. “If that food goes to waste, I'm not serving to you at practice, Bokuto-san!”

“Thanks for the food, Akaashi!” you both called back as you stuffed your faces.


	14. Fun Idiots - Kuroo (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns
> 
> Older!Kuroo

Kuroo felt someone touch his arm as he finished another beer.

He slid the empty bottle over with the others and glanced over to see you.

“(Y/N)!” he exclaimed. “There's my super hot girlfriend!”

You sighed.

Kuroo had invited you out drinking with his old volleyball friends a few weeks ago. And it might have been fine if he'd just meant the Nekoma team. But this particular gathering was for everyone. Nekoma, Fukurodani, Ubagawa, Shinzen, Karasuno, and even Aoba Josai. The teams claimed to have left all their old grudges behind (although you had noticed that no one had invited Shiritorizawa to this party).

You'd never seen so many athletic men acting insane. It had been all you could do to keep up with Kuroo as he weaved his way through the party, stopping to talk to everyone he knew and introducing you as the love of his life.

Aside from Nekoma, since most of them knew you already.

It was embarrassing, but in a cute way. Not that you'd ever admit it to Kuroo. And not that he'd remember after the twenty or so beers he'd already managed to drink down that night.

“Tetsuro honey, it's time to go home,” you told him.

“What?! Why?” he whined.

“Honestly, because I'm only responsible for you, but if we stay too much longer I might have to take care of forty of your closest friends and there's no way I'm doing that.”

The night had started pleasantly. Meeting some of his old rivals had been great, and there seemed to be plenty of responsible friends (Suga, Daichi, Asahi, Kiyoko, Yachi, Ennoshita, Akaashi, Kenma) to balance out the more eccentric ones (Tanaka, Nishinoya, Bokuto, Kuroo, and Lev). But the longer you'd stayed, the more you'd understood why Kenma had warned you away from this gathering. He had left within the first hour, claiming that if anything happened he would find out tomorrow.

It had started out with story-telling. Seemingly innocent jabs at one another and comparisons of their lives now that they had (mostly) quit volleyball. Tsukishima left after a particular jab from Bokuto about how he'd learned to love volleyball.

Then came the competitions. Arm wrestling, chugging, and jumping (you hadn't really understood that last one) across various teams. Iwaizumi and Kuroo had won the first two respectively. Although there was a disagreement on who had won the jumping, as while Hinata did manage to jump the highest for his body size, Lev easily jumped the highest overall as he now stood at almost 6 and a half feet tall.

The two had tried to start a fight which ended disastrously. Lev had broken a bottle and promptly fainted at the sight of his own blood, and Hinata confined himself to the bathroom to try to ease his upset stomach, a trait he'd carried into adulthood.

Oikawa had tried to start a dance competition to impress the women that were there, but no one was willing to take his bait. Although you had a sneaking suspicion that Kageyama had nearly taken him up on it just to prove himself. Thankfully someone (Asahi) had held him back.

The next few hours had been a flurry of confusion. You had caught up with a few of the team managers to see what they were up to now. They were all great from what you could tell between them yelling at various members of their respective teams to stop doing dangerous things.

Nishinoya jumping down from the second-floor banister to keep Oikawa from flirting with Kiyoko was undoubtedly the highlight of the night.

But now it was closing in on 3 am and you were exhausted.

Kuroo leaned down close to you. “But any minute now, Bokuto is going to try to fly off the roof!”

“Bokuto isn't here,” you gently reminded him. “Akaashi took him home over an hour ago.”

“Wha--? But who have I been talking to?!”

“A fern that kind of looks like him.”

Kuroo turned around and squinted at the dark shape next to him. It was pointy, like his owlish friend. But maybe it was a plant. That would explain why he'd been so quiet for the past twenty minutes.

“Oh,” he said finally. “But one more drink. Daichi owes me for beating him at arm wrestling!”

“Daichi is passed out in the corner.”

Kuroo turned around so fast he nearly fell off his chair. But it was true, Daichi was fast asleep in the corner. Two of his old teammates (Nishinoya and Tanaka) were drawing on his face. The second he caught sight of them, Sugawara raced over and shooed them away.

“But--”

“Home. Now,” you repeated. “And help me grab Lev, Kenma is waiting for him outside.” Yachi had cleaned and dressed his wound while he was passed out. He'd woken up and partied hard for a few more hours, but Kenma was the only one that lived close to him.

“Fine, I'm coming,” the black-haired man groaned as he got up.

You helped him carry a now sleeping Lev outside to Kenma's car. It took some work, but you finally got the tall man situated in the backseat. You shut the door and walked around to Kenma's side.

“Thanks for coming back,” you told him.

Kenma smiled slightly. “It's the least I can do since you take care of Kuroo for me now.”

“Kenma!” Kuroo suddenly exclaimed, coming over to the window too. “You were the best setter I ever had, I just want you to know that!”

“I know.”

“No, but I need you to know that, Kenma.” He leaned forward, practically putting his face into the car. “Like, really know that.”

Kenma quickly rolled up the window.

“See you for dinner next week!” you called as you pulled Kuroo away from the car. He honked in response. You watched him drive off and smiled.

“All right, Kuroo. Are you ready....what did you do?”

Kuroo was lying on his side on the concrete.

“(Y/N),” he whined as he looked up at you. “I scraped my knee falling for you.”

“Come on,” you said as you hauled him to his feet. “Let's see if Yachi has any more band-aids.”

“You said you fell for me,” you told Kuroo when he asked about his knee the next morning.

“Uh-huh. And what about yours?”

“You tripped me when we got back to the apartment last night. So, I guess you could say--”

He smirked. “Aww, did you fall for me too, kitten? I knew it was only a matter of time.”

“Shut up,” you said as you gave him a playful shove. He quickly wrapped his arms around you and pecked your forehead.

“I love you.”

“I love you too, Tetsu. Even if you and all of your friends are idiots.”

“But we're fun idiots,” he pointed out.

And honestly, you couldn't argue with that.


	15. Approval - Yamaguchi (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Female pronouns

Tsukishima glanced down at his shorter friend, a bored look plastered on his face. They were walking home together after practice, but Yamaguchi had interrupted his thoughts to ask him something ridiculous.

“If you're already dating, why do you need me to meet her? Do you need my approval that badly?”

Yamaguchi squirmed slightly under his piercing gaze. “It's just what you do, Tsuki. I've met her friends already, so she's been wanting to meet you.”

The blond resisted the urge to roll his eyes. The idea was absolutely ridiculous in his opinion. Why did Yamaguchi need his approval? Or this....girl that he'd never met?

“Please, as a favor?” Yamaguchi's voice cut through his thoughts.

“Fine. But just this once.”

“And, uh--”

“Uh, what?” Tsuki snapped.

Yamaguchi met his gaze evenly. “You have to be nice to her.”

Tsuki said nothing for a moment. He was mostly just surprised at Yamaguchi's rush of confidence on this matter.

“Just this once,” he repeated slowly before putting on his headphones.

Yamaguchi grinned. “Thanks, Tsuki. I owe you one!”

Tsukishima simply grunted in reply.

A few days later, Tsukishima met up at the cafe Yamaguchi had told him to meet at. He was even a little early, as per his best friend's instructions. He slid into the seat across from Yamaguchi.

Yamaguchi was fidgeting nervously, waiting for your arrival. “Remember, (Y/N) is--”

“--the greatest thing that ever happened to you so I have to be on my best behavior,” Tsukishima grumbled.

“I never said--”

“You didn't have to.”

Yamaguchi opened his mouth to defend himself but was interrupted by another presence at the table.

“Hi, Tadashi,” you said as you slid into the seat next to him.

“H-hi,” he replied softly. You smiled at him before glancing at his tall friend.

“Tsukishima Kei,” his friend introduced himself.

“(L/N) (F/N). Nice to meet you.”

Tsukishima forced himself to return your smile, although he was sure it looked almost as scary as Kageyama's.

You didn't seem to notice, you were too busy perusing the menu.

Yamaguchi slowly shook his head at Tsuki, signalling him to quit smiling. He sighed quietly and started looking at the menu too.

After you'd finally ordered, it became quiet around the table.

“So Tsukishima, how did you and Tadashi meet?” you asked.

“We've known each other since elementary school. He saved me from some bullies,” Yamaguchi blurted out before Tsukishima could even think of answering.

“That's so brave!”

Tsukishima narrowed his eyes, noticing something hidden behind your smile.

“Yes, I suppose,” he finally forced out. “And how did you two meet?”

“I go to Shimada's store after school sometimes and I kept seeing him there while he was practicing.”

Yamaguchi beamed. “She was really interested in my float serve.”

“Was she?” Tsuki mumbled to himself as the food finally came. He allowed it to distract him for a fraction of a second before continuing.

“You're not in our class, are you?”

You shook your head. “No, I'm in 1-5. One behind you.”

“Really? I don't think I've seen you around.”

“That might be because you have headphones on all the time,” you pointed out. “It's not like you're paying a lot of attention.”

“You're sure paying a lot of attention to me, aren't you?” Tsukishima pointed out with a smirk.

Yamaguchi suddenly cleared his throat loudly.

Both of you glanced at him.

You awkwardly continued eating, not speaking to one another except for a few comments of “This is really good. How's yours?” Although you could still feel each other's challenges.

After a few minutes, Yamaguchi had decided that you'd calmed down enough not to kill each other without his presence. He excused himself to go to the bathroom.

You and Tsukishima waited a full thirty seconds before glaring each other down.

“What is your problem?” you snapped.

“My problem? You're the one who's been staring at me the whole meal,” he hissed back.

“Maybe that's because I've heard the rumors about you, Tsukishima. I'm really interested in how Tadashi has a friend like you.”

“Because I keep him away from girls like you!” he retorted. You gave him a puzzled look. “Oh, don't act innocent. You're interested in his float serve? You just want to latch on now before he becomes an important member of the team.”

“You haven't even known me for thirty minutes and you think I'm that shallow? Or that I would ever do that to someone as nice as him?”

Tsukishima shrugged. “Why not? Others have. Or used him to get to me.”

“That's horrible!”

The tall blond sighed heavily. “He's just so trusting of anyone who will give him the time of day.”

“He did think I was joking when I confessed,” you admitted quietly.

“You were the one who confessed?”

You shrugged slightly. “He's just so shy, you know? I think it's really cute to be honest, but I figured I had to be the one to confess or wait around for him to say something at graduation.”

Tsukishima smiled in spite of himself. “That sounds like him. If he was just a little more confident...”

“He's going to be a force to be reckoned with when he gets there,” you agreed.

The two of you glanced at each other. It seemed you'd reached some common ground.

“Look, I'm sorry,” you said finally. “I came in knowing that you were kind of a bully type and I pre-judged you. Tadashi begged me to be nice to you until I really got to know you.”

“He did the same to me!” Tsukishima exclaimed.

“You're kidding!”

“I'm not. You know how stubborn he is when he wants something.”

You laughed. “Well, either way, you obviously care about him a lot if you agreed to it. And you're right, he probably needs someone like you looking out for him.”

Tsukishima averted his gaze. “And I guess....you're not so bad.” It was equally obvious that if you were willing to stand up to him, you obviously cared about Yamaguchi. But he certainly wasn't going to tell you that. Yamaguchi had to work for every compliment, and you weren't going to be any different.

Especially if you were going to stick around, which he had a feeling you would.

“That's pretty high praise from Tsuki.”

You both turned to see Yamaguchi standing there.

“How long have you...?”

“Long enough,” he replied with a smile. “I knew you two would get along eventually.”

Both of you made a “tch” sound at him, still irritated he'd made you act nice to one another. But at least you both approved of each other.

“All right, (Y/N), now you have to meet the rest of the team!” Yamaguchi told you as you left. “If you can get along with Tsuki, everyone else should be a breeze.”

“But Shoyo is so loud,” you whined.

“Don't forget about the King,” Tsuki commented.

Yamaguchi sighed. “Kageyama isn't that bad.”

“Kageyama Tobio?” you asked. “How is he even in your class with grades like his?”

Tsukishima smirked. Maybe you two could be friends after all. “You'd better hang on to this one, Yamaguchi.”

“I plan to,” Tadashi replied, wrapping an arm firmly around your waist.

You beamed at him. “So do I.”

Tsukishima resisted the urge to vomit as you rubbed your noses together. That was going to take some getting used to.


	16. Realization - Iwaizumi

Iwaizumi had never considered himself much of a feeler. He was far more of a thinker, relying on his instincts to tell him what was happening around him.

He'd known from the moment he saw you that you were cute.

He knew from the way you shut down Oikawa every time he tried to get your attention that he liked you.

He knew from the way you smiled at him that he wanted you to be his.

And he knew the first time he'd heard you call him by his first name that he was hopelessly in love with you.

Actually, that last one was a bit harder to figure out exactly. There had been a lot of things that had led to that realization. The way your hand felt in his own. The way you supported him at every game, or how you brought him his favorite tofu when he had a hard day. The list went on and on. But that first “Hajime” had sent a shiver up his spine and that was what he attributed it to.

You were his first love and he knew it with every fiber of his being.

But Iwaizumi also knew that volleyball was his life. Not in the way that someone like Bokuto did, because he had a passion for it. But in the way that he didn't see himself doing anything else. There was no other option as far as he was concerned.

By his third year, the scouts had started seeking him out to join the top programs in the country. But these offers meant he had to figure things out with you first.

You couldn't follow him on this adventure. And you both knew it. But you pushed him forward, telling him that this was what he'd always been working so hard for, and he deserved it.

Besides, this was what he wanted.

And so he had left, promising to keep in touch as much as he could. Not as your lover, but as your friend. That was all he could offer you then.

That had been almost two years ago.

Iwaizumi had finally gotten a chance to go home and he decided to take it. It was good for his spirit if he had a change of scenery every now and then.

And his fourth stop (after dropping off his stuff, getting some food, and then grabbing something from the local market) was your apartment.

He hadn't been around, but he'd kept up with some of his old friends and as far as they knew, you hadn't gone anywhere.

So he walked up to your door and knocked just like the last time he'd been there.

You opened your door and stared at him.

He cleared his throat, awkwardly holding out a bouquet to you. “Hi.”

“Do you want to come in?” you asked. He nodded, stepping inside your apartment. You took the flowers over to the sink before turning back to him.

“I didn't know you were coming back.”

“I wanted it to be a surprise.” He cleared his throat. “I missed you, (Y/N).”

“You have a funny way of showing it, Iwaizumi.”

His eyes widened slightly. After you started calling him Hajime, you only called him by his surname when you were mad at him.

“Are you...upset?”

“Am I upset?” you repeated. “You think you can just show up unannounced on my doorstep with flowers and act like everything's fine?”

“I told you when I left that it would be hard to get back. I thought you understood that.”

You smiled thinly. “And when was the last time you got in touch with me?”

He scratched the back of his head.

“I understood that this was what you wanted when you left. I figured you would still make some time for me, even if we were only friends. I thought it would be temporary--”

“It is!” he insisted. “We'll be together when I come back.”

“You don't get it, Hajime. You don't even treat me like your second choice anymore. I don't know where I stand with you, and I haven't for a long time.”

“W-what are you saying?”

“We're done.”

“(Y/N), please. I can make this up to you. I know I can--”

“You're not a part of my life anymore.”

He never asked how your day was or how you were. You were lucky if you got a drunk text after he went out and celebrated with his teammates. He didn't even know where you worked. You wouldn't know how he was doing if you didn't catch his games every now and then on TV. He was so far removed from your life, and had been for almost two years.

“But...you were my first. It can't end like this,” he protested softly.

“I've forgotten what loving you feels like. And I'm sure you have too.”

And that was the crux of the problem. With distance came a slew of problems that neither of you had anticipated. You weren't there for one another anymore. You couldn't keep up with each other's days, or feel each other's touch. It had destroyed your relationship.

You had known far before him, because you were a feeler. You always had been. But he was a thinker. And without any indication from you, he'd assumed things were fine while you crumbled away by yourself.

He vaguely registered that he had made his way out into the hall of your apartment building. He didn't know if he had stumbled there himself or if you had dragged him. He turned to glance at you, his mouth open in disbelief.

You were crying. Just like when he had left two years ago.

You'd tried to hide it from him then, and he'd barely noticed. But now the tears ran freely down your cheeks.

“I wish it didn't have to be this way,” you said softly. “But I can't love you anymore. Good-bye.”

He vaguely heard the door shut. He stared at the door in confusion.

This was wrong. This wasn't what supposed to happen.

You cried for him. You had always cried for him.

And suddenly, he felt it.

A cold hand squeezing his heart as he realized every painful emotion that he'd made you feel. Abandonment at choosing his dreams over you. Loneliness over not calling you like he said he would. The anguish of waiting for him to come back. Distress. Despair.

He'd done that to you.

He wasn't aware of anything around him anymore. He'd simply collapsed against the wall, desperately trying to make his own tears stop falling. Trying to remember how to breathe properly. Trying to stop the terrible feelings.

Trying to stop the realization that you cared this deeply about him and that he'd barely scratched the surface in comparison.

You were his first love. His only love. And he'd thrown you away.

He knew it. And he hated himself for it.


	17. Raise Me Up - Ennoshita

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU - soulmates have matching tattoos (One is larger because it holds more meaning to that half of the soulmate bond)

(Soulmate AU where soulmates have matching tattoos. One soulmate has a bigger or more distinct tattoo because the meaning is tied more closely to them)

After the initial shock of discovering you were his soulmate, he bowed to you.

“I'm sorry,” he said.

He hated that he'd cursed you with this tattoo.

There were so many other people with important or cool tattoos signifying their personality or their biggest desires. Daichi's shield on his right shoulder was like an insignia, declaring his desire to protect others and lead the team with his strong defensive style. Hinata's was a rocket on his leg for his hyper personality and desire to fly, while Tsukishima's was a moon on his shoulder blade, mysterious but incredibly fundamental just like the tides caused by the moon.

But Ennoshita couldn't figure out how to take pride in his own tattoo.

A large navy blue anchor was splayed across his back. And with a tattoo that large, he knew the meaning behind it lied within him somewhere. But what was it?

He didn't care very much for the sea, so it wasn't a literal meaning. He'd never been on a ship in his life, and he certainly wasn't dying to go anytime soon.

Anchors were heavy, they dragged people down. They were big and rusty and were only useful to ships, really. And having it across his back only made it worse, as though he was carrying its large weight with him wherever he went.

Maybe that's why he stopped going to volleyball club, he'd finally dragged himself down under all that weight and pressure.

And then at that damn preliminary match against Wakutani South. He could feel the weight of it all holding him back. Not measuring up in Daichi's shadow. Not having the experience or practice to fight harder and lead the team better.

Even though he got past some of his regrets, he couldn't help feeling like he really was just an anchor, dragging everyone else down with him.

So he apologized to you, unable to tear his eyes away from the small anchor tattoo on the inside of your wrist.

“You don't like it?” you asked.

His eyes immediately met yours. “You do? But...they sink! They sink and drag everything else down with them.”

You smiled. “Not exactly. An anchor's biggest purpose is to plant itself and keep you grounded. It's there for support.”

“But mine is on my back!” he persisted. “It's not supporting me, it's constantly pinning me down.”

“I think you're looking at it wrong.” You thought for several seconds. “When an anchor gets too heavy, you get others to help you raise it up. That's a kind of support. If it's as big as you say, I'd imagine you have a lot of people supporting you, and vice versa.”

“Support,” he repeated softly.

And just like that, it all clicked into place. He'd always been in a supporting position. Coming back to the volleyball club even after running away. Cheering on the first years that were made starters instead of him. Helping the other second years with their homework. Refusing to immediately accept the nomination for captain because he wanted to support someone else.

He raised them up when they needed it, and they did the same right back.

“Thank you!” he suddenly exclaimed, grasping your hands in his own. “I'll do my best to support you too!”

You squeezed his hands in return. “And I'll keep raising you up when you need it.”


	18. Lost - Haikyuu Captains

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Older Haikyuu captains

You were driving home from work, stopping at an intersection. You saw movement out of the corner of your eye and glanced over to see the driver of the next car over waving at you.

You stared at the three boys in confusion, unsure if they were trying to get your attention. But they seemed adamant about talking to you, so you hesitantly rolled down your window.

“Excuse me,” the driver said, giving you a sweet smile, “but is this Peach Tree?”

You narrowed your eyes at him. Could he not see the sign himself? “Yes,” you replied after a moment, moving your hand to roll the window back up.

The one in the back immediately sat up, pressing his hands against the half-open window on his side. “You're not turning, are you?” he asked.

You glanced between them in confusion. This was some kind of prank, right?

“Yes...?” you said once again, knowing full well that you were in the turn lane and the cars behind you also had their turn signals on. Were they really that ignorant?

“Bokuto, shush!” The one in the passenger seat hissed before turning back to you. “The thing is, we have an important appearance to make, so can you find it in your heart to let us in front of you?”

“Kuroo, get out of my space,” the driver grumbled. The passenger ignored him, continuing to smile charmingly at you.

“Fine, I guess,” you relented. The one in the back gave a whoop of victory.

The driver's face quickly morphed into a smile. “Thank you very much!”

Without missing a beat, he started turning his car in front of your own until his bumper was about to hit you. You held your breath in anticipation, just waiting for the sound of his car scraping against your own.

But despite being obviously lost, the driver knew what he was doing. The second the light turned, he straightened out and finished his turn, effectively merging in front of you. He quickly sped up, obviously concerned about making it wherever they needed to go. You sighed in relief and continued on your way home.

When you got on your street, you saw a car's headlights not too far in front of you. It looked familiar but...there was no way. Was that them again? You watched in horror as they drove into your driveway.

“Hey!” you exclaimed as you pulled up behind them. “What do you three think you're doing?!”

“I told you we were being followed,” Kuroo grumbled. “I just thought it was one of your fangirls, Oikawa.”

“What are you doing here?” the one named Oikawa pressed, coming around to your side.

“This is my house,” you replied.

“I told you this wasn't it!” Bokuto exclaimed.

“Well we're in the right neighborhood, you stupid owl.”

You sighed. “Who are you looking for?”

“Sawamura,” they all replied. You nodded to yourself. He had told you a few days ago that he was having a party with some old friends. You sighed, getting out of your car.

Daichi opened his door to find the three other captains standing there.

“There you guys are! We were starting to get worried.”

The trio filed in to see that Sugawara and each of their respective former vice captains were already hanging around in the living room. With the exception of Kenma, who'd come in the place of Kai for Nekoma.

“(Y/N)?” Daichi said as he saw you. “What's up?”

You smiled thinly. “Just making sure these lost boys actually got where they were going.”

The three captains' juniors immediately glanced up at them, making the captains uncomfortable.

“This is why I told you to come with us,” Kenma grumbled.

“You got lost?” Iwaizumi sighed. “Stupidkawa, you said you knew how to get here!”

“I did! Kuroo was telling me the wrong directions!”

“Bullshit!” Kuroo retorted. “You kept ignoring me because you had a “good feeling” about going the other way.”

“Well, Bokuto was distracting me!”

“I just wanted you to see the sights!” the gray-haired captain defended.

You nudged Daichi. “I thought you told me you didn't like these guys.” Daichi and Sugawara had told you a lot about their old volleyball days, which usually consisted of the three other captains playing the role of the enemy.

“I didn't for a while.” He shrugged. “But their friends keep them in line, which is why I invite all of them over.”

“Well, have fun,” you said. You turned to leave.

“You don't want to stay for a bit?” Daichi asked as your hand touched the knob.

Without missing a beat, Kuroo had thrown an arm around you. “Yeah, since you're so good with directions, you can draw me a map to your heart.”

“I'd much rather stay lost in your eyes,” Oikawa added, grasping his hand in your own.

“Uh...!” Bokuto nervously danced around, trying to think of something. “No matter how lost I get, I keep finding my way back to you!”

Everyone stared at him for a few seconds.

Akaashi finally cleared his throat. “I'm sorry about him.”

“Actually, that one wasn't so bad. But I'm still leaving.”

“Thank you for helping them,” Iwaizumi piped up. Kenma nodded his agreement.

“It was no problem. Just make sure they get home safely.” They all agreed, bidding you to have a good night.

The second the door closed, Oikawa grimaced. “What are you, our babysitters?” he protested.

“In your case, that seems generous,” Sugawara piped up. Everyone else laughed while the brunette pouted.

Daichi rolled his eyes at their antics. Nice to know some things didn't change.


	19. Mixer - Iwaizumi (Female Reader)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by an episode of Aggretsuko

“And how do you know these guys again?” your friend asked as you and another office mate sat down at the table.

You were hardly listening. You were regretting this idea already.

A mixer. A singles mixer. Could it get any worse than this?

“It's just a few guys from the accounting department,” she replied.

A mixer. With people from work. You resisted the urge to leave right then.

Maybe it would be fine. You had your best friend with you, after all.

Ten minutes later, you were sitting there with three strangers. A tall and lanky guy, a loud and fun guy, and...a sort of nondescript one.

Although that could be because he was quiet. He had only told you his name.

Iwaizumi Hajime.

The other four had hit it off almost immediately, becoming more friendly as they drank and joked together about the office.

You were drinking as well, but he seemed to prefer water.

“Do you not like alcohol?” you asked after a moment. He glanced up at you and you panicked. “I'm sorry! That must seem really rude!”

“It's fine,” he replied. “I don't mind it on occasion, but I drove tonight, so...”

You nodded, feeling the conversation drop back into awkward territory.

He averted his gaze, scratching the back of his head. “I-I'm sorry. I'm not very good at--”

“Hajime doesn't have a great track record with girls!” His tall friend called from the other side of the table.

“Shut up, Watari!” Iwaizumi snapped. Watari stuck out his tongue in response, possibly on account of Hajime not using his first name too.

You laughed. “You guys must be old friends.”

“Yeah...he was on my team in high school,” he mumbled. He didn't know if it was the embarrassment at his friend's outburst the or the way your laugh sounded dancing through his ears, but he could feel his cheeks reddening.

“What kind of team?” you pressed.

“Volleyball. I was the ace, actually.”

“Wow, that's so cool!”

He smiled slightly before taking another sip of his drink.

You felt your breathing hitch. Wow, did he have a pretty smile.

Your friend nudged you and gave you a teasing wink. You shuffled away from her, trying to hide your blush.

“Is that where you know your other friend from?” you asked.

Without warning, the loud one leaned into your conversation, throwing an arm around Hajime's shoulders.

“We were old rivals,” he explained. “And still are.”

“That's only because you make everything a competition, Kuroo,” Hajime grumbled.

“Aww. You're making me look bad in front of your cute lady friend, Iwa-chan,” the one called Kuroo retorted.

Hajime glared at him. “I told you not to call me that.”

Kuroo snickered softly before straightening back into his own conversation.

“Seems like you have some fun up in accounts,” you commented.

He shrugged. “Depends on the day. And you're from the sales department, right?” he asked suddenly.

“That's right. All three of us.”

“Well...maybe I'll visit sometime on my break.”

“You're welcome anytime,” your friend butted in. “You all are! We're only one floor below you, after all.”

You glanced at her but she was already back into her conversation with Kuroo. Although you could feel them listening intently to every word.

If Iwaizumi noticed, he seemed to ignore it. You continued talking through the rest of the evening.

“Wait,” he stopped you once you were outside. “Could I have your number? T-to see when is a good time for that visit.”

“Of course.” You exchanged phones and entered your numbers. You had only just handed his back when a loud honk echoed through the street.

“Whoops,” Kuroo giggled as he leaned out of the car to look at you.

Iwaizumi sighed. “I'm sorry. About both of them.”

You barely suppressed a smile. “Don't worry about it. Drive safe, Iwaizumi.”

“Hajime,” he replied.

“Maybe I'll see you at work on Monday, Hajime.”

“See you, (Y/N).”

Another honk echoed from Hajime's car. “Oi, you two! Cut that out!” he snapped.

“But we're tired,” Watari's voice whined from the backseat.

Hajime glared at him through the rear view mirror. “That's because you drank too much as usual. This is why I don't come to these things.”

“But you better go see that girl on Monday,” Kuroo mumbled as his head rested against the window.

“Yeah, we'll see.”

But on Monday, Iwaizumi met you on the stairwell during your lunch break.

“This was a great idea,” you told him as you ate your lunch.

“Well, Kuroo is down there right now trying to get a date out of (F/N). If he sees me, I'll never hear the end of it.”

“Yeah....and I don't need that kind of gossip right now.”

“Exactly.” He cleared his throat, his face burning. “But....we could go out for lunch sometime. Away from the office.”

You smiled. “I'd like that.”

A mixer. With people from work. Who knew it would work out in your favor?


	20. Last Names - Akaashi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Because some of us have horrible last names and the struggle is real

You glanced at the receipt from your takeout and sighed heavily.

“Can't wait until I get married and have another last name,” you grumbled.

Akaashi glanced up from his food. “Hmm?”

“This is only the hundredth time that someone's spelled it wrong after I spelled it for them. It's just annoying.” You starting eating your own food. “You wouldn't understand, Keiji. You have a nice name.”

The raven haired boy nodded thoughtfully. “So you'd prefer any other name?”

“I mean, not any other name,” you relented. “It has to sound right.”

“What about mine?”

You smiled slightly. “Akaashi (Y/N) sounds great. Way better than (L/N).”

“Then it's settled.” He took a drink.

“What is?”

“You'll take my last name when we get married.”

You nearly choked.

“Is that your way of proposing?!”

He smirked. “I was going to do it properly, but since you started talking about marriage, I might as well go ahead and tell you my intentions.”

And that was how you inadvertently became engaged to Akaashi Keiji.


	21. Flirting Tactics - Iwaizumi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspired by the following tumblr post:
> 
> Person C (to Person A): that's a great shirt but I bet it would look even better on (Person B)'s floor
> 
> Person B: did you just hit on them for me?
> 
> Person C: Someone had to! I'm sick of you two being in love and doing nothing about it!

“Excuse me,” a voice said behind you. You quickly turned around to see a scowling Iwaizumi and a grinning Oikawa.

“Oh, you're back,” you said. One of the boys was a regular at the store, so you recognized him easily. He and his friend had come into the store earlier in the day to look at some refrigerators for their new apartment. You had assisted them and they'd left less than an hour ago. That wasn't a good sign.

“Is there something wrong with the appliance you bought?” you asked.

“You could say that,” Iwaizumi growled lowly.

Twenty minutes earlier....

“Iwa-chan stop driving like a mad man!” Oikawa whined as they took a sharp turn.

“We have to set up this fridge today, Stupidkawa, or did you forget?”

“But you're going to ruin my hair.”

Iwaizumi glared at him. “Shut up. I can't believe you had to come with me to pick this up.”

“Of course!” Oikawa pouted. “Someone had to be there to talk to the salesperson while you loaded it on your truck like a brute.” His friend glanced in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah, well as long as you actually tied down your side—no, no no!”

He watched as the aforementioned fridge neatly tumbled off the back of the truck into the road behind him with a resounding crash.

With a loud groan, he pulled over to the side of the road. “I'm going to kill you for this.”

“We wanted to see if it still works,” Iwaizumi explained when they showed you the result.

“I'll have one of our maintenance people check on it for you,” you assured him, calling someone to wheel the damaged appliance to the back of the store, unbox it, and test it out.

“Great. And if it doesn't work, we'll be glad to buy another one. Courtesy of my friend here,” he replied, firmly gripping Oikawa's shoulder.

“Iwa-chan, I said I'm sorry! I just got distracted.”

“You're always distracted!” he barked back.

“But it wasn't my fault. (Y/N) here is just too cute!”

“M-me?” you repeated.

He grinned at you. “Of course! I know why Iwa-chan likes coming here so much now.” The former ace stiffened at that comment, a blush rising to his cheeks.

“And that uniform looks great on you.” You glanced down at your uniform and then back at him. “But I know somewhere it would look even better.”

“Where's that?” you asked dumbly.

“Iwa-chan's floor,” he replied matter of factly, nudging Iwaizumi closer to you.

The two of you stared at each other in silence. Oikawa, devoid of any kind of embarrassment, continued grinning at you, watching you contemplate what he'd said.

“Did you just...hit on someone for me?” Iwaizumi finally choked out, glancing back at Oikawa.

The taller boy shrugged. “You've been coming here for months and you haven't made a move yourself. I'm just speeding up the process.” The former ace sighed heavily, turning to you instead.

“I'm really sorry about him. He can be a bit of an ass.”

“No, it's fine.” You cleared your throat. “I should go check on that fridge for you.”

The second you were out of sight, Iwaizumi gave his friend a hard smack to the head. “Why would you do that? I can never come back here now!”

Iwaizumi made sure to firmly tie down the fridge himself once you returned it to him. He triple checked every strap before clambering down off the truck. He hurriedly brushed by you, still embarrassed by Oikawa's earlier insinuation to you.

You cleared your throat. “Iwaizumi?”

He immediately turned around to face you.

“Here. It's my number. Just in case the fridge has another problem,” you told him with a small smile. Pink immediately rose to his cheeks as he caught on.

“T-thank you,” he spluttered, clutching the slip of paper in his hand. “I'll call you. If...there's a problem with the fridge, I mean.”

“Great. Have a good rest of your day.”

“You too,” he replied, climbing back into the driver's seat.

“Please tell me you didn't plan that just to flirt with (Y/N) for me,” Iwaizumi finally said as they drove home once again.

Oikawa averted his gaze. “If I had, would you admit that I'm not an idiot?”

“I'd admit you're an even bigger idiot. Because you were going to have to pay for the replacement.”

“Iwa-chan, you're always so mean!”


	22. Missed Connections - Yamaguchi

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soulmate AU where the first words you speak to your soulmate are written on your wrist

(Soulmate AU where the first words you speak to your soulmate are written on your wrist)

A lot of people were lucky when it came to finding their soulmates. They could recognize them almost immediately because of the words written on their own wrists.

Yamaguchi Tadashi was not one of those lucky people.

The words “Excuse me” were scrawled across the inside of his wrist in hurried letters. A simple phrase that he could hear almost every time he went outside. He had no idea how he was supposed to find you through the masses of other people that would use the common expression with him.

And yet, he did. On the day of the entrance ceremony. You were running across the campus and bumped his shoulder on your way past.

“Excuse me!” you exclaimed with barely a pause. But he froze in his tracks. Was that...?

But by the time he had turned around to respond, you were long gone. He frowned thoughtfully. He hadn't had time to say anything back.

Could that have really been his soulmate? Was that his one chance, ruined? Were the rules that simple?

The poor freckled boy was forced to try and put the encounter in the back of his mind. He hadn't even seen you, there was no way he could figure out your identity. He didn't know if you were in the same grade or class.

That left the burden with you. Luckily for both of you, bumping into him was not a one time thing.

He recognized your voice the second time. You managed to squeeze past him without bumping his shoulder this time, but the “excuse me” was exactly the same. Even though it had been a few months since he had last heard it, he knew it immediately. Your voice made him feel lighter than air.

He spun around to face you much more quickly this time. But you had become enveloped in your friend group, so he still couldn't bring himself to respond.

At least he knew he could pick you out of a crowd now. In fact, he vaguely recognized you. You were in the class behind him and Tsukishima. You were a first year like him.

But suddenly the ball was back in his court and he didn't know what to do with it.

You couldn't know he was your soulmate...he hadn't managed to say anything to you.

How was he supposed to strike up a conversation with you now, knowing that? He'd never been good at talking to anyone he liked. Much less someone he thought was his actual soulmate.

Tsukishima thought the solution was simple – since he knew where your classroom was, he should drop something in front of you or accidentally bump into you himself.

But that wasn't Yamaguchi's style, and he knew he didn't have the nerve for something like that.

To be fair, he tried.

He left a note in your locker but it somehow ended up belonging to Nishinoya instead who mistook it for a love letter.

He tried standing stock still in the hallway to make you bump into him again, but you were suddenly too evasive.

Waiting around your club room didn't work. You were off that day and he got yelled at by Ukai when he finally showed up to his own club.

It was obvious forcing it wasn't going to work.

Instead, he refocused his energy on something he could hope to control.

Volleyball.

Namely, his jump float serve.

You, meanwhile, had started to notice the green-haired boy yourself.

You'd seen him hanging around the halls at schools at the same time you were and every time, you had this feeling like you'd seen him somewhere and knew him. You vaguely knew that he was a first year and in the class in front of you.

Your friends seemed to know more about his tall companion, but he didn't interest you. From what you'd heard, he's a bit too rude and sarcastic for your taste anyway.

But Yamaguchi...you thought that was his name...seemed nice. You usually saw him practicing in the gym after school after your own club let out.

So when the volleyball club started gaining traction and making their way towards Nationals, you and a few of your friends decided to go and watch a game to support them.

You were a bit surprised that there were so many first years on the team but Yamaguchi wasn't one of them. In fact, he was the only one not on the starting line up and it disappointed you. You were kind of hoping to find something to talk to him about if you came to the game.

No sooner had you thought that than he was switched in as a pinch server.

And it was clear where all of his hard work had been leading.

He may not have been as experienced or well-rounded as the captain of the team or some of the third years, but it's obvious he had some skill.

Before you know it, he managed to get five points over the other team, who were supposed to be one of the top schools in the area. But then his streak was over, and he stepped off the court once more.

You kept replaying the scene in your head...his intense focus and passion for the game was mesmerizing.

And you intended to tell him that.

Once the match is over, you hung out near the locker rooms, knowing that you only have a short window to talk to him before they'll be back on the bus.

You saw him come out, flanked by his tall blond friend. You took a deep breath and walked over, gently tapping his shoulder.

“Excuse me--”

His reaction was immediate, turning around to meet your gaze with wide eyes.

“Soulmate!” He blurted out before he can even think of saying anything else. Tsukishima, recognizing you, went on ahead to the bus, dragging a nosy Hinata along with him as he went.

You stared at him in slight confusion before you felt warmth on your wrist. The sign that you've heard the first words of your soulmate.

You had never had to worry about your soulmate words, as you knew they would recognize you when you met. But knowing that and experiencing someone actually saying it to you are two different things.

“But how did you--?”

“I'm sorry!” he exclaimed. “I...I've known for a few months--” he said softly, showing you the tattoo on his wrist-- “I just didn't know how to approach you about it. We've technically met twice before, but I never got the chance to say anything to you.”

It all suddenly clicked into place for you. “You're who I kept bumping into! That's why you always looked so familiar! I've been meaning to apologize, I just never had the chance.”

“R-really?” Yamaguchi asked. He'd been so sure that you'd be upset with him for not telling you sooner. You smiled and nodded.

“(L/N) (Y/N),” you replied. “Nice to meet you.”

“I'm Yamaguchi Tadashi. N-nice to meet you too.”

“By the way, I wanted to tell you that you played a great game.”

He flushed, scratching the back of his head. “Thanks, but I didn't do much.”

“Are you kidding? That serve completely changed the flow of the game! It was amazing.”

“Yamaguchi!” Daichi's voice called. “It's time to go.”

He cleared his throat. “Sorry, I'd better go....but I'll see you at school, right?”

“I'm sure we'll bump into each other soon enough,” you teased. He chuckled, starting to turn away and meet his teammates.

Even after all this time, he hadn't missed his chance with you.

Maybe he was one of the lucky ones, too.


	23. Hold Me - Iwaizumi

Iwaizumi glanced up when he heard the door open.

“Hey, how was your meeting? You get that raise yet?”

You had just taken over a new position at work following another employee's departure. They'd mentioned bumping your pay a bit since you were taking on new responsibilities.

“No,” you replied softly. “It actually wasn't much of a meeting, it was just an announcement to let us know...they're selling the company.”

“They're what?” the brunette exclaimed, standing up to look at you.

About six months ago, you had started working at a small office. It wasn't really what you'd expected to be doing after finishing your education but it was paying the bills and you were learning a lot of new skills. The company had been started as a family-owned business, so there were still only about a dozen employees there. Except it seemed that would be changing.

“We're getting bought out by a big competitor,” you explained with a half-hearted shrug. “They said they just offered the right amount. The transition takes effect in two months.”

“But what about you and the other employees?”

“They say we'll be fine.”

Iwaizumi's frown deepened. “That's all they said?”

The owners had promised when they'd hired you to take you under their wings and make sure you were well taken care of. And just a few months later, here they were, throwing everyone out into the cold.

You met his gaze. “They're going to keep us as far as I know but there's no telling if my job will even be the same over there. Not to mention my pay. And my benefits are going to have to start over, and I'm sure they'll be different.”

“That's ridiculous. What about--?”

“I don't know, Hajime! You know exactly as much as I do.” His gaze softened and he took your hand in his own.

“Come on, let's eat.”

You nodded quickly, happy for any slight distraction.

But this new change just kept hitting you where it hurt.

You took a sip of your drink. “They're probably moving my job to their headquarters three hours from here.”

“What?” Iwaizumi exclaimed, desperately choking on his food. “Do we need to move?”

“No one's told me yet.”

You had only moved to this apartment a few months ago. To be closer to work.

You showed Iwaizumi the new handbook. “We're getting the same insurance but less vacation days. We only get the major holidays now. My pay will be the same but they won't even think of giving me a raise until I've been there at least a year.”

So much for that dream.

Two days later, you got home an hour late.

“What's going on?”

You smiled thinly. “We had to turn in our paperwork today and Kai didn't tell us until an hour ago.”

Kai had turned in the paperwork early but neglected to tell anyone else when it was due, so you and the other employees had to stay late just to make sure it got in on time.

And despite constantly pulling stuff like that, Kai had been working at the company longer than you and was going to be in a supervisor position once the transition was complete. You couldn't wait.

Hajime woke up late on Saturday to find you missing. When he found the entire apartment empty of your presence, he immediately started looking for his phone. Before he could, he found a note with your handwriting saying you'd be gone for a few hours. You finally showed back up around lunch.

“Where were you?” he asked.

“I had to go to the office and get some projects done.” He opened his mouth to speak but you shook your head. “I know what day it is. But it needed to get done and I'm in and out of client meetings all next week so it had to be today.”

“But you just got over 100 hours for this pay period yesterday. (Y/N), you have to slow down and take care of yourself.”

And just like that, you finally broke. “I'm still the youngest and newest employee, Hajime. From what I've heard, they're going to take some of my responsibilities without even batting an eye. What if they decide they don't actually need me?”

“Then they're making a huge mistake,” he said firmly, wrapping his arms around you in a tight hug.

Your grip tightened around him, tears starting to prick at your eyes. “Thank you.”

“I can't imagine how stressful this is for you, but I love you and I know we'll figure it out together. I'm right here whenever you need me.”

A few months later, the new company had decided to let you keep your old job and even take on some more responsibilities. It was nice...now that you'd gotten used to your new coworkers and the workload.

And even though it was stressful, it brought you and Hajime closer together. When your world suddenly started crumbling around you, he made sure to help you hold it together.

And you loved him all the more for it.


	24. Shimizu Kiyoko - Looking Forward

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a request on my Wattpad account. Hope you enjoy!

Kiyoko loved her position as manager of the volleyball club. She prided herself on it.

She did everything that she could to keep them going strong. She helped the coach with analyzing players and gathering statistical data. She made sure that the equipment stayed clean and stocked in the supply closet. She took care of cleaning up their banner, pumping deflated balls, replacing the netting and anything else that was required. 

But there was one area of management where she didn't excel.

Ever since she was a member of the track team, she had seen players get injured. They ran into hurdles, they had a bad landing, or sometimes just stepped wrong. She had been one of these players herself and had been hurt. But that didn't make it any easier for her to deal with injuries.

If it was minor, then she could easily slap a band-aid on it and call it a day. But when team members collided with each other, got hit with the ball going full force, or even just started bleeding, she couldn't do much. She didn't have the right equipment to deal with these injuries, but they also tended to make her nervous and squeamish.

You, on the other hand, had no such issue. It was how you started helping out the nurse in the first place. One of your friends had injured themselves running through the halls and by the time they made it to the nurse's office, you already had a potential plan of how they could relieve the pain. The nurse was impressed and let you work after school with her as a sort of impromptu club.

Kiyoko met you there when she first became the manager. Since volleyball was one of the sports that involved close contact plays, you weren't surprised by it. 

You were more surprised that the player she brought looked like he should be playing in college already, but you went through your checklist to make sure that he wasn't concussed or experiencing any large amounts of pain. After assuring you that the problem really was his shoulder that and allowing you to poke and prod at it for the third time (just to make sure he wasn't faking it), he finally got to leave with an ice pack.

Kiyoko took him back to the gym. The next day, she stopped by your classroom to thank you again.

"I'm not good with injuries," she confessed.

"Most people aren't," you assured her. "But that's nothing to worry about. That's why we have nurses and doctors and other medical specialists. If you ever need anything, you know where to find me."

And she did. She found you every time a player got injured. She asked you questions about what to do in certain situations. When is it okay to move someone with an injury? How do you know if a blow to the head is serious? Can you really tell the difference between a sprain and a break without medical equipment?

You answered every question as well as you could. And you continued to keep up with the players that came to see you.

Some days you walked Kiyoko to her club to check on them. And while you were there, you helped her set out some of the equipment. You talked to the players. You cleaned up when you could. You did everything short of signing the club form to make it official.

It wasn't until you were both about to enter your third year that Kiyoko realized this was a problem. Exams would be coming up, and you would likely be expected to help out more at the nurse's office. She would be busier with the club since they were getting new members.

"Are you sure you don't want to be a manager?" she asked one day you were walking together to the gym.

You chuckled softly. You had expected her to bring this up again. She'd done this at least once a month since you started coming by more often.

"I'm sure."

She frowned. "It wouldn't be that different from what you're doing now."

"Yes, it would."

"What do you mean?"

You smiled. "All I do after school is wait around in the nurse's office. Sometimes I get to walk you to your club. Or sometimes you come and see me while I'm working. If this happened every day, I wouldn't get to look forward to that anymore."

"You look forward to seeing me?"

"Always. Not--not that I'm waiting for your team to get hurt or anything! I wouldn't--"

She laughed. "It's okay. I know what you meant. I feel the same way...about looking forward to seeing you."

"Oh." You cleared your throat. "Good. I'm glad to hear it."

You had already made it out onto the breezeway. The gym door was looming in your path. You took another step and felt something pull your sleeve.

Kiyoko had grabbed a bit of your sleeve in her hand to keep you from walking away. "What if we made a schedule?"

"A schedule?" you repeated.

"Then we'd always have something to look forward to. And...then we'd know we get to see each other."

She couldn't bring herself to meet your gaze then. But you could see her cheeks growing brighter by the second.

"I like that idea."

Her eyes met yours for a brief second before she glanced away again. "W-when are you free?"

"How about Saturday?"

"Saturday?" she repeated.

"Right. We can get together and work out a schedule. Unless you're having practice that day?"

She shook her head.

"Good. I'll see you Saturday, then."

You gently squeezed her hand before heading back into the school building. 

Asahi poked his out of the gym door. "Hey, Kiyoko? Noya cut himself. Do you think you could take a look at it?"

"I'll be right there."

She wasn't sure when it happened, but...she wasn't so afraid of injuries anymore. Maybe it was a side-effect of spending so much time with you.

She couldn't wait for Saturday. She was definitely looking forward to that.


End file.
